"I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is a new Netflix film taking Film Twitter by storm, starring Jessie Buckley, pictured, and Jesse Plemons.
There’s a moment in the beginning of the new Netflix film, “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things,” where the two main characters, Lucy (played by Jessie Buckley) and Jake (Jesse Plemons), drive by a strange sight on the side of the road: A brand new swing set in front of an abandoned house. “That’s odd,” Lucy said. “Why would that be there”?
“That’s odd” and “Why would that be there”? are two phrases I asked myself countless times while watching this bizarre and twisted tale from writer and director Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman, of course, is no stranger to the surreal or twisted story (just watch “Adaption” or “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” for any indication of that).
His movies often range in tone from humorous, to bleak, depressing, meta, disturbing and just plain peculiar, sometimes all at the same time. His characters are usually lonely, self-loathing souls- people who desperately strive for a sense of meaning but can’t seem to get out of their own heads to find it. “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” features the usual Kaufman antics revved up to 100, creating one his most surreal and oddly beautiful films to date, in a story that takes us on a voyage through the fractured state of the human subconscious.
The film centers on Lucy, or Louisa, or the “young woman” as she’s aptly called in the credits (her name mysteriously changes throughout the film), who’s taking a trip with her boyfriend Jake to visit his parents for the first time. Lucy is already “thinking of ending things” with Jake as they drive to his parents home, a farm located in the middle of nowhere, with an impending blizzard headed their way.
Add in two eccentric parents, a creepy basement that’s off limits for Lucy to see and little details that seemingly change in the blink of an eye, and you get a premise that feels like “Get Out” and “The Shining” had a baby together.
But Kaufman realizes what this all looks like on the surface and begins to slowly pull the rug out from under us instead. Things turn from creepy to surreal real quick, and pretty soon, we’re left to question just about everything we thought was real. What exactly does Lucy do for a living? How did her clothes just change in a matter of seconds? Wait, how old are Jake’s parents really?
Part of what makes the movie so riveting is trying to put the puzzle pieces together as certain recurring objects, and people begin to take on higher meanings. Pay close attention to the little details, like the way the characters talk and what clothes they wear, and you’ll start to notice a pattern.
Clearly the film is manipulating how we remember certain details, and yet, Kaufman seems to emphasize that we’re active participants in what we choose to remember. “Can we really trust our own memories?” the film seems to ask us. Go back and re-watch certain scenes and you’ll notice how often those little details tend to change. Although this may completely frustrate some viewers and leave others scratching their heads, it’s undeniably fascinating to watch unfold.
Also magnificent is the film’s cast, which consists primarily of Lucy, Jake and his off-beat and truly bizarre parents played by Toni Collette and David Thewlis. Buckley and Plemons are both fantastic as Lucy and Jake, mixing in just the right amount of charm and quirkiness to make the characters feel fresh and original.
But the standout might just be Collette as Jake’s mother, whose toothy grin and sudden mood shifts make her performance just as hysterical as it is eerie. A disturbing take on the “awkward dinner scene” is where all four actors really get to shine, as casual conversation quickly turns into crude sex jokes, vexed glances and uncomfortable silences that could make just about anyone’s skin crawl.
Undoubtedly, “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” will not be for everybody, as many will surely dismiss the film for its lack of plot and perplexing storyline. What this film is actually about is bound to be a hotly debated topic, even if there may not be one true answer.
Is it about the nature of memory, how time constantly changes what we think we remember? Or perhaps it's about regret, loneliness or how our deepest fears manifest themselves in the real world. I suspect all of the above could be true. Or maybe none of them are.
Ultimately, that’s what makes Kaufman’s films such a joy to watch. They’re as much of a metaphorical journey as they are a literal one, a deep and dark dive inside the human subconscious.
Yes, don’t be surprised if you too find yourself shaking your head and muttering “that’s odd” countless times throughout the film. Ultimately, I suspect Kaufman is the only person who truly understands the deeper meanings behind his own films. But hey, that doesn't mean we can’t take a stab at it too.
Undoubtedly, “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” will not be for everybody, as many will surely dismiss the film for its lack of plot and perplexing storyline is bound to be a hotly debated topic, even if there may not be one true answer.
Check out today's episode of our podcast, "The Daily Targum: Targum Tea," on our YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud for another perspective on this film!
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